I’m excited to share this bundle, just in time for SPRING! It will soon be part of a larger unit for 2nd or 3rd grade, but can stand alone as a mini-unit. You can find this bundle of activities HERE.
ZOO SCAVENGER HUNT.
This is an offline scavenger hunt, a simulated excursion to Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia. Armed with clipboards and recording sheets, students will walk around, in pairs, to “visit” Aussie animals. The animal displays are mini-posters you have posted around your classroom, hallway, library, and other chosen areas.
Before beginning, an excerpt of a virtual tour gives students the feeling of actually entering Taronga Zoo as visitors. As students read, they check off boxes and write only one or two words on their recording sheets at each station. With younger scholars in mind, there is critical reading, but not as much note-taking.
AUSSIE ANIMAL SCRAMBLE
This is a mini-project that incorporates the creative thinking strategy S.C.A.M.P.E.R. Your students do not need to be familiar with S.C.A.M.P.E.R.; there are links to resources you can use to introduce them to the technique.
Having completed the scavenger hunt, students use what they’ve learned to create a unique but realistic animal. Through slides you will display, students will learn about the astounding number of new animal species discovered each year and added to the scientific record. They will also learn more about the platypus, an animal that scientists initially thought to be a hoax because it is such a strange combination of animal parts!
Prepared project pages are included, but suggested options provided allow you to design the project according to the time you have.
THINKING ABOUT ZOOS
This lesson presents questions to prompt deeper thinking around big ideas.
(1) Why do people build zoos? What’s the big idea behind them?
Discussion questions using the tools of Depth and Complexity help younger students learn how these tools can deepen understanding and promote further study. If these are new to you, find more about these thinking tools here.
(2) What might be some positive and negative aspects of putting animals in zoos?
A simple sorting activity raises students’ awareness and understanding of the positives and negatives associated with zoos. If your students are familiar with the THINKING HATS, the sorting activity is a simple Yellow / Black Hat sort, but students are challenged to figure out what they are sorting! Again, you can find more information about these thinking strategies and tools at this link, and introduce them to students with this slide deck.
Stay tuned for more resources connected to the universal theme of STRUCTURES. Subscribe and join our Facebook group for updates and fun discussions!